Trembling Silence
by holyhufflepuff
Summary: Autumn is returning to Hogwarts for her seventh year. Never did she think that this would be the year she would find her voice, become a champion, lose a favorite mentor, and possibly fall in love. Warning: Character death.
1. Returning to School

Autumn lingered by a pole holding up the train station. All around her, people rushed to get onto the Hogwarts Express, but she was waiting. She really should just forget about it and get onto the train before all of the good seats are taken. Namely, one for her to sit alone in. She wouldn't see her friend until she got to school because June had better things to do. Like their names—they were opposites, meaning June had tons of friends besides the brunette currently waiting for her mother.

Autumn tried scanning the crowd for her mother, but quickly gave up. It would be impossible to see her mother in this mess. A person bumped her, causing her to scoot over from the blow and decide that it was just time to get onto the train. Her mother was supposedly talking with some friends but how long it would take for her to get back, no one really knew especially Autumn.

Finally her mother's short figure came into view. She was pushing her mousey hair away from her face, an exciting smile on her face. Autumn quickly figured out why; in tow behind her mother was Ginny Potter. The proud looking red-head seemed to tower over her mother. Ginny—or rather Mrs. Potter to Autumn—was an old good friend of her mother's from school.

"Autumn," her mother called her, smiling so hard it hurt to look at. She grabbed her daughter's shoulder. "Ginny you remember Autumn, don't you?"

"Of course!" Ginny replied, smiling more gracious looking than Autumn's mum. "You've gotten so tall!"

"Thank you," Autumn said, a little unsure of how to answer that type of compliment.

"So I expect you will have James in some of your classes this year. Harry has told me that they are mixing in the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins into some of the same classes."

"Oh. That'll be nice," Autumn's mother seemed to answer for her. "James is in her year?"

Ginny nodded. "Let me know if he gets into too much trouble. His father had a knack for it and I guess the gene got passed on."

Autumn was too busy watching more and more people board the express. "Er—sure thing, Mrs. Potter." She turned to her mother. "I've got to get on soon or I won't find a seat."

"Right, right," her mother gasped and gave her a quick hug. "Write to me, won't you?"

"All the time," Autumn promised. "Nice seeing you, Mrs. Potter," she said to Ginny and began to stroll off to catch the train.

"Oh and say hello to James for me!" Ginny called.

"Okay!" Autumn replied but she knew that it was one promise she couldn't keep.

Autumn sat alone in the compartment, reading a magazine. It was a muggle magazine she had taken from one of her friend's house and had forgotten to return. She found muggle life very interesting. It was a whole other realm it seemed and she didn't believe how two such different worlds existed within one. Flawlessly too. Muggles were completely unaware of the world she had grown up knowing.

The compartment door slide open and Autumn expected a lost first-year or someone still trying to find a seat. Instead the blonde hair June stood outside, still giggling from something. How her friend found her almost instinctively, Autumn never knew. She might have had some sort of enchanted map or other magical tool to help guide her way.

"Why do you always sit alone?" June asked her as she made her way into the train compartment, shutting the door behind her.

"Don't really have anyone to sit with," Autumn answered automatically.

June was still smiling from something. "You are more than welcome to sit with me and the others. I always have told you that." She took a seat across from Autumn, leaning back and exhaling dramatically. "Two years, can you believe it?"

"Two years of what?" Autumn asked, her eyes glued to pages about make-up tips that seemed to make muggle boys go 'crazy'. In her world, you just whipped up a potion for your face or another popular choice amongst her girl peers—charm the boy to like you.

"Of me dating Daniel, silly!" Her friend went on with her daydreaming. "He's so handsome. I can't believe he is mine."

Autumn wanted to be supportive of the relationship but she couldn't bring herself to. She just wasn't around June enough to like any boyfriends she had, so she stayed out of it and just kept on reading. She wondered where you could buy eyeliner from. She saw that girls wore it at school but whether they used an actual eyeliner pencil or spell, she would never know.

June was already going on anyways. "It's funny how outgoing Albus has become, isn't it?" June's mum and Mrs. Potter had been on the same professional Quidditch team. June was a friend of both Albus Potter and his younger sister, Lily. "And James has kind of had the opposite effect. He is such a loner now, it really isn't healthy. And he doesn't even have to be! He used to get so much attention before he just stopped talking to everyone. It's really a pity."

"Agreed," Autumn said, just to please her friend. She was too far gone reading on skin care to really be interested in people's social life.

"He could be adorable if he tried to do something with himself. His hair is god awful. Like does he brush it?" June went on. "Lily said that he just keeps to himself at home too. Sneaks out of the house every once in a while though and gets into some trouble by Professor Potter. The bad boy thing is cute but he has just taken it way too far."

There was a knock on the door before it slid open. It was one of June's friends. "We were wondering if you were in on that bet or not?" she asked June excitedly.

June's eyes brightened. "Count me in!" She turned to Autumn. "We have a bet going that one of the Potters will put their name into the Goblet of Fire. Would you like to join in?"

Autumn perked up at that. "Get out. The Triwizard is this year?"

June nodded. "So are you in or not?"

"No," Autumn replied. She was definitely intrigued at entering herself though. The Triwizard tournament was just always something that had intrigued her.

"Thinking of entering?" June asked her, looking a little nervous.

"Of course! It's fascinating."

"It's a terrible excuse of entertainment," June's friend sneered. "People get hurt in it."

"Then why make a bet out of something like that?" Autumn pushed right back.

June's friend didn't respond. "Waiting on you," she said to June then left.

"Please don't," June whined.

Autumn pretended not to understand. "What do you mean?"

"Don't enter the tournament! If you are trying to gain popularity or friend—I could help, but don't enter fo-"

Autumn cut her off. "What? As if I would do it for something like that."

June seemed to shrink a little. "I know you have some weird obsession with the tournament but it's really not worth sticking your neck out for. Sure, it's fun to watch, but to compete—well that's something _completely_ different. "

"I'll be fine," Autumn said shortly. "Just go place your bet and I will see you at dinner."

June lingered for a few more seconds but Autumn was already done with the conversation and back to reading. June stood, muttered goodbye, and left.

Autumn suddenly couldn't wait for the school year to begin. This year would be totally different; she just could feel it in her bones.


	2. First Night Back

The Great Hall fluttered with excitement as Professor McGonagall took her seat at the teachers' table in the front of the room; dead center. The Headmaster's chair. Everyone knew that the speech would be about the Triwizard Tournament. Everyone was eager to see the Goblet of Fire and to see the award—the Triwizard Cup.

Students shuffled past Autumn, trying to find a seat on the bench at the Hufflepuff table. Everyone whispered to each other about what was about to begin. Everyone knew that Sander Adamson was going to enter the competition. He was a beater on their Quidditch team plus the captain.

Not all of the girls fell for him of course, but most of them did. The girls in the other houses didn't take a second look at him but he practically had a fan club amongst some of the Hufflepuff girls. Autumn always viewed him from far away and saw that he was handsome, sure, but he had to be lonely surrounded by all of those superficial friends. She didn't consider herself an "Adamson Fan" but she did think he was handsome and maybe there had to be some pain under that boyish charm. Every house has them, she guessed.

Autumn looked away from Sander to the entrance of the Great Hall. Professor Potter strode in, holding his eldest son by the shoulder, whispering something to him. His son appeared to reply with something snarky, causing Professor Potter to stop in his tracks, holding his son in place with him. He went off into a speech and James eyes glazed. He didn't look in his father's eyes but rather everywhere else. He caught Autumn's stare and she bashfully looked away.

She really did not want to mingle with him. She wouldn't tell him hello even if she had told Mrs. Potter she would. He looked…dangerous. She looked instead to the kids Professor Potter apparently told to go sit down—James' siblings. Albus strode by and she had recognized him almost immediately. He resembled his farther immensely; much more than the other two. He was followed by a shorter red headed girl—Lily. Her hair fell in slight waves down her back and she had her mother's bright smile. She waved to her friends before taking her place at the Gryffindor table. Albus had not sat too far away from her, already chatting with his friends.

Autumn took a peak back to James. His conversation with his father was obviously over now as Professor Potter walked by the Gryffindor table, earning cheerful welcomes from the Gryffindor table. James stood rooted in his place before grabbing at the green and silver tie around his neck, trying to loosen it with anger flowing through his veins. He looked up at the teachers' table—staring at his father Autumn guessed—with a look of angry determination.

Professor McGonagall took her spot at the podium in the front of the room, putting her wand to her throat. Her voice boomed around the Great Hall, catching everyone's attention. "Welcome back, students."

James took that as a cue that he should find his seat at the Slytherin table. Autumn turned her attention to the front of the room. Professor McGonagall had an infectious smile it seemed because Autumn couldn't help but to return the smile and excitement built in her stomach. Another year was about to begin.

"As you may have heard, this year Hogwarts has the pleasure of once again hosting the Triwizard Tournament-"

Shouts cut her off. Everyone seemed to scream out all of the excitement that seemed to be instilled in every student. Even Autumn found herself clapping, enthusiasm fueling her smile.

Professor McGonagall raised her hands to silence the screams of happiness. "Now everyone quiet down, quiet down," she called to them.

"The Triwizard Tournament is a tradition held-"

Autumn stopped listening. She already knew almost everything there was to know about the Triwizard Tournament. The one fact that stood out most in her mind right now was a wild haired boy with glasses had been in the tournament not too long ago. A boy with a lightning bolt scar.

He now sat at the front of the room and taught everyone how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. Something he knew all too well. Something that had followed him through most of his life. The Boy Who Lived no longer went by Harry Potter but rather Professor Potter and Autumn would have paid a lot of gallons to be able to read his thoughts at that very moment.

Sure, that part of history was immensely interesting to all of the students. Their own Professor had ended a wizard war. He was brave, kind, but most of all he was probably the most important person in the world and there he was every day, teaching them how to fend off dementors—which he was particularly good at-, telling them about the creatures in the forest that he had faced, and to defend yourself from a werewolf attack. And even though he was so amazing—he was theirs.

He belonged to the school that started it all. The place he had learned it all. The place where it all ended. The place that was a safe haven for him.

Autumn felt overwhelmed to think that the dark haired man that assigned her homework was the most important piece of history ever. And now she feared that maybe a piece of his past had come back to haunt him. If it did, it definitely didn't show on his face. Perhaps he was good at acting. Autumn knew that she wouldn't have been able to hold it together. There would be doubt and fear in her mind.

The Triwizard tournament after all was when Voldemort had become whole again. No longer just a fractured soul. And she would have thought maybe they would have banned the tournament after that, but there had been several since that day Harry Potter faced his enemy in the graveyard.

Autumn reconsidered entering, but she just felt compelled to. She was so vastly interested in the tournament since she could remember. And when Professor McGonagall talked about the Goblet of Fire and her classmates began whispering excitingly around her, she became determined. She had to enter. Being in it was an ambition since she was young and she just couldn't turn away now because of something that happened over twenty years ago.

Once the other schools arrived, they would be allowed to enter the tournament and she would be damned if she wasn't the first one to put her name in.

Professor McGonagall said a few last word and warnings before she let the feast began. Everyone eat cheerily and chattered away. Sander's friends were all clapping him on the back and taking animatedly. Sander's smile only reached half of his face while he nodded to his friends talking. Her looked scared, Autumn thought.

Autumn turned her attention across the room to the Slytherin table. She looked at James Potter and couldn't help but wonder if any of the Potter children would enter the competition. They probably wouldn't, she quickly thought. Mrs. Potter probably wouldn't allow it, Professor Potter probably wouldn't allow it either, and they probably already had enough attention from being the children of Harry Potter.

She looked down to June who was sitting near Sander's gang, talking with her friends, flipping her blonde hair occasionally and waving to people at the Gryffindor table.

Autumn guessed she was waving at Albus. Autumn wondered if June had forgotten that she was dating someone. For two years apparently she had been dating Daniel who was a part of Sander's group of friends. Light blonde hair, light eyes, and he played on the Quidditch team as Keeper. He wasn't all that attractive to Autumn but he had a good head on his shoulders, thank goodness. At least her friend had picked one of the smarter boys.

Before Autumn knew it, they were all being dismissed for bed. The Head boys and girls all gathered up the first years to take them to their common rooms. The Hufflepuff common room wasn't all that far way so Autumn was in no rush to get to bed. The older students just shuffled their way out anyways, still talking with friends or saying hello to people in other houses.

While the first years all lined up and were trying to get organized, Autumn walked over to June to just say hello like she had promised on the train.

"It's exciting isn't it?" Autumn said to June. She couldn't help herself but smile.

"Yeah," June breathed, smiling as well. "I can't wait to see who it chooses from our school. And those Beauxbatons! I can't wait until they show up. We could all use some good makeup tips. Especially Melissa over there…"

Autumn could care less about how pretty the competing schools were, she just wanted the Goblet of Fire to be displayed already. "Well I'll see you in the common room. What's your first class?"

"Transfiguration," June answered.

Autumn nodded. "That's my first class too so if I don't see you again tonight, I'll see you in the morning." She had just barely finished her sentence when Daniel walked up and wrapped an arm around June. Autumn took that as a signal to leave and bowed out.

She exited the Great Hall and headed down to the dungeon. The Hufflepuff common room was located down near the kitchen. She took the stairs down into the dungeon and turned to take a right—and walked right into someone. She took a step back and immediately started apologizing.

"Sorry—I didn't see you there-I wasn't paying attention."

"Its fine," the person she bumped replied. Then she saw who it was and blushed.

"Oh, Sander. Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

He chuckled softly. "It's really okay, Autumn. I'm just waiting for my mates," he said, pointing to the staircase. "They always goof off and try to scare first years. They're uh…a little immature."

She was surprised that he still knew her name from the time she tried out for Seeker on the team. He had reassured her that she had been great but he gave the position to Lisa Madelyn. She knew it was strictly business and she hadn't been that great at flying anyways. She didn't comment on the fact he remembered her though.

"Right. Well good luck," she told him and then started to depart.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, catching her arm before she walked off. "Good luck with what?"

"Entering the Triwizard tournament," she answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Who said I was entering?" he questioned.

She didn't want to sound stereotypical so she just came up with an excuse. "Oh, I heard your friends discussing it, I figured that you would just join in."

He shook his head. "My parents don't want me entering. People die in that competition."

Autumn shrugged. "Well they have made the competition much more safe since previous ones. They probably have an age limit-"

"McGonagall said sixteen. Professor Potter is setting an age line around the Goblet," Sander cut in.

Autumn nodded. "Right and they will make the tasks a lot easier and safer because of you know, people dying before."

"Cedric Diggory," Sander said suddenly and he looked scared like he had during dinner. "He—he," he had to stop to clear his throat, "he was one of my dad's mates during school. My dad was really devastated when he died. Dad still talks about it. How he looked when Professor Potter brought him back. What had happened to him." He seemed to look past Autumn with a vague expression.

Autumn cleared her voice. "My mom was on the Quidditch team with him," she whispered. "I'm still entering though," she said after a few seconds.

She expected him to laugh at her but he instead he raised an eyebrow and looked her in the eye. "You? You're entering?"

She nodded. "Is that too hard to believe?"

"Don't do that," he said, his voice rising a little higher. "That competition is horrible."

Laughing filled the corridor and Sander's friends flooded down the stairs. "Sander! You should have seen what Peeves did!" one of his friends called, shaking with laughter. At that the other teen boys started laughing harder.

"You guys," Sander said in a warning tone.

Autumn shook her head. "It's fine, I have to get going. Class in the morning," she said. She waved to Sander as she made her way down the corridor and finally made it to her common room.


	3. Safety Precautions

It had already almost been two months before the other schools arrived, just a day before Halloween. The Beauxbatons arrived by their flying carriage and the Durmstrang students by ship. The students all mixed in at whichever house table they could squeeze into. No one really minded being squished at their tables, they were just happy to talk with the foreign students.

While all of the other students couldn't focus on schoolwork because of the new, pretty Beauxbatons or the brooding Durmstrang students, Autumn couldn't focus because of the anticipation of being able to enter the competition. She sized up the foreign students, trying to guess which ones the Goblet would pick. Probably one of the more popular girls from Beauxbatons and one of the more larger boys from Durmstrang. She watched them in their own little cliques as they sat in on her classes.

Professor Potter tried time and time again to gain everyone's attention but finally gave up and just let the students talk amongst themselves. Their Potions Professor, Professor Raventon, was able to keep them quiet by threatening to send everyone to the Headmaster. Autumn knew that she wouldn't do it, though; she was just as interested in the new students as everyone else. She walked around the room, helping with potions and quietly asking the new students questions.

At the end of the school day, Autumn heard all of her Professors discussing the foreign students. She caught onto a conversation about how they didn't even know how to cast a proper defense spell. She would think they would though; they were here to enter a competition where a proper defensive spell would be more useful than any other.

She had spent the time in between their arrival studying up on the tournament again. She noticed Sander alone in the library, researching something for Astronomy and wondered if he had told his friends that he wouldn't be entering the competition. She figured that's why he was alone so much. She had told him again that they would make sure that the competition was completely safe for this year but he still was nervous and said it would just crush his dad if he entered.

He even took a place next to her the next morning to discuss past tournaments and she again wondered what his friends were off doing. And as Sander seemed to be trying to pick her head and discover why on earth she wanted to enter so badly, she was doing the same to Professor Potter. She wondered how he had been able to maintain so cheery and happy during something that was such a nightmare to him. She just guessed that Professors had to be that way; they had to keep a calm surface at all times.

The Halloween feast was an hour away and June had stopped in to talk with her again about bets. June told her about who the people the Goblet would probably pick from the other schools and she kept the names in her mind. It seemed that people were particularly fond of a Genevieve girl from Beauxbatons and June said that the rest of the students were just there for show and were all just going to put Genevieve's name in the Goblet. Then there was a Gregory Trigore from Durmstrang that seemed to be the most popular and strongest. And June said that he had some intellect. Autumn agreed. He had answered a question in Potions that no one else had known.

Autumn took her normal seat around two-thirds to the end of the Hufflepuff table. She sat patiently as all of the rest of the students took a seat and called for some of their new friends from the other schools to sit by them. June clearly thought she was above everyone else because she knew more than two sentences of French which her grandmother had taught her a couple summers back. She smiled brightly as a girl with slick, light brown hair took a seat next to her. June looked over to Autumn and sent her an ecstatic smile. Autumn quickly figured that the girl was Genevieve.

Sander took a place by his mates but Autumn didn't care; all good things must come to an end. Like June had told her, she was only a loner by choice, she could have easily joined into June's group but she didn't. She preferred to be by herself because like Sander, most people tried to pick apart her weird obsessions or ideas. What if she didn't have reasoning behind them besides the fact that she was loyal to her ideas and goals? Half of the time she didn't even know.

As more students flooded in, Professor McGonagall found her seat at the teacher's table. She was still the Transfiguration Professor which Autumn admired her for. She was able to still maintain a classroom while being the Headmaster. And Transfiguration was one of Autumn's favorite classes. Professor McGonagall spoke with Professor Potter to her left while she waited for the rest of the students to get to dinner.

Autumn could feel the seconds ticking away. Why did everyone choose tonight to be slow? She almost sighed in relief when the entire Gryffindor table filled up. The Slytherins of course did everything on their own time and it seemed like they had all made a pact to keep her in anticipation. Professor Guyiley, head of the Slytherin house soon came in, flanked by none other than James Potter.

"Sit," Autumn heard her instruct him, pointing her finger to the Slytherin table. "Your father can deal with you."

"But I told you, Professor-"

It was the first time she probably had ever heard James speak. She was surprised at his cool, crisp voice. She would have thought it would be deep or rough.

"Sit, Potter!" Professor Guyiley instructed again. "Ten points," she said with menacing eyes and floated off.

James had no choice but to sit, Autumn saw as he scoffed and wondered off to the Slytherin table. She wondered what he must have done. Apparently it was so bad that his father had to be dragged into it and Professor Guyiley to take points away from her own house. She would probably rather have her arms chopped off than deduct points from Slytherin.

Professor Raventon walked by the Hufflepuff table. "Good luck to those of you entering. I'm so proud of you."

"And what if we aren't entering?" a third year asked.

She stopped smiling. "Then I'll see you in Potions tomorrow, Mr. Nylon."

The boy's group of friends began laughing and shoving him. He told them to come off it with a very red face.

Professor McGonagall finally took the podium. "Good evening guests and students. I am sure you are all very excited for what will happen tonight." Clapping interrupted her until she was able to quiet everyone down. "Sit down, Jordan, sit down!' she commanded to one of the boys at Gryffindor. She shook her head slightly and Autum watched as a boy sank back down the bench, looking around to see if anyone saw him singled out.

Professor McGonagall just smiled and proceeded. "As you may or may not know—we have a tournament on our hands this year." She gave her wand a little flick and an object floated from the corner of the teachers' table to in front of her. She have another flick with her hand and the cloth covering it flew off. The Goblet of Fire. Sitting there in all of it's glory.

Professor McGonagall went on to telling everyone the rules once again. "You must be sixteen to enter the tournament." There were still groans, mostly from the Hogwarts students. "You will be assigned a teacher that will not help you during the tasks of the tournament. Rather watch your neck and help guide your way. Safety precautions." She glanced over to the teachers' table behind her at a man Autumn had never seen before but he simply screamed an official from the Ministry. "Any outside help from students or a professor and you will be charged with cheating. Are we clear?"

Of course, no one answered her back.

"From this moment on, the Triwizard tournament has begun!" The Goblet started to glow, blue and eerily. "Now, let's not let these nice Halloween decorations go to waste." She flicked her wand and the golden plates filled on all four of the tables.

Autumn didn't reach for food right then, but rather, into her robe's pocket. She grasped on tightly to a piece of paper. She would enter tonight.


	4. Trouble

It was really unlike her to be slipping out of bed at this time of night. She wasn't about to wait in the long line after the feast though and she had promised herself that she would enter. It was nearly eleven when she slipped out of the girl's dorms and into the common room.

"Night," one of Sander's friends said to him as he sluggishly got up and forced himself to walk across the common room. He only gave Autumn a small glance as he dragged himself past her. He was one of the boys that hung out with Sander that Autumn didn't like.

Sander rose from one of the black arm chairs by the fire. He had to do a double take at Autumn, as if she had scared him. "Oh—Autumn."

"Expecting a ghost?" she replied, trying to stifle a grin.

"No. I think all the ghosts are asleep by now." He looked down to Autumn's attire. "Going out?" he asked, his mouth pressed into a tight line suddenly. "Do I have to alert one of the prefects?"

Autumn couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "I'm just going up to the Great Hall real quick." When his expression still didn't falter, she added, "The line earlier was so long and you know me...all hell bent."

"Stupid determination," he said, but took a step forward. "Goodnight, Autumn."

As he rushed by to the dormitories, she whispered a goodnight that she hoped he caught.

Autumn crept carefully out of the dungeon's entrance, making sure that no teachers were guarding the Great Hall. Tonight wasn't her night though.

"Hunter!" she heard a voice call from her right.

Her whole body froze up as Professor Potter walked up to her from the Great Hall. "Pro-Professor, what are you doing here?"

"I think I'm the one that should be asking that exact question, Hunter," Professor Potter said, both hands behind his back.

"I was worried about my Transfiguration homework you see—so I was going to go seek Professor McGongall-"

He raised a hand to stop her. "Autumn, Transfiguration homework is either very hard for the entire school tonight or you students have all plotted to use the same excuse."

Autumn tried to speak but no words seem to make it past her tongue. She lowered her head in defeat; she knew she had been caught. It was just her luck that the first time she had ever left the common room this late at night without an excuse, she would get caught.

"Now I suggest you just try entering in the morning. The Headmaster told us not to allow anymore entries past ten o'clock."

Autumn would have protested but since Professor Potter wasn't giving her detention—yet-she figured that she could just wait out the night. She would just have to accept defeat and crawl back into her bed. Before she could agree and turn around, Professor Guyiley came strolling over to investigate.

"Do you have a Potions question for Professor Raventon,  
Hunter? Or perhaps Herbology homework was too hard this early in the year?"

"N-no, Professor," Autumn managed to say. "I was just on my way back to the dorm-"

Professor Potter cut her off again. "Now, now, Margery, I have the situation under control."

"Ten points from Hufflepuff? And a detention? I do hope that was the punishment, Harry."

Autumn awkwardly sunk back until she bumped brick. She knew that this would not end well—especially since they were speaking on first name basis.

"I know how to hand out punishments," Professor Potter fought back. Autumn had never seen him so irked. "Twenty points from Hufflepuff will be taken—Headmaster's orders—and Miss Hunter will have detention with me."

Autumn felt like the air had been knocked out of her. She would be the first Hufflepuff this year to get points deducted. She wanted to suddenly evaporate from the spot. She was suddenly disappointed with her stupid stubbornness to enter the tournament. She would rip up her name when she got back to her dormitory.

She also wanted to voice her opinion on having detention but she really didn't want to test her luck and have the punishment doubled—or tripled.

"You may go back to your dormitory, Autumn," Professor Potter said. He still looked hostile towards Professor Guyiley but he gave Autumn a reassuring smile.

Autumn bowed out at that and all but ran back to the dorms. She was deeply disappointed in herself. Detention and points deducted. If her mother found out...

Before she could do anymore damage, she mumbled the password to the Hufflepuff common room angrily and slipped inside. Someone in the far corner got up from a chair.

"That was fast," he commented.

Autumn looked over to Sander and decided not even to bother, no matter how curious she was as to why he was back in the common room. Was he...waiting for her?

"I didn't enter," Autumn said. She wished she had corrected her tone first, she sounded a bit like she would rip out his throat if he said something else.

"Did Professor Potter catch you?" Sander asked her, an amused look on his face.

She suddenly did feel like lunging at him. "You—you knew?"

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I managed to slip all the way up to the entrance of the Great Hall without being caught. Ten points from Hufflepuff." He suddenly looked very ashamed. "I decided just to throw my name into a different fire."

Autumn could barely believe her ears. "You tried to enter?"

"That's why Justin and I were sitting in here so late. Stupid split-second decision," he said, looking down at the fire in front of him. "Fueled by influence from the gits I hang out with."

She didn't really know how to answer to that. He had promised his father...he had seemed so sincere when trying to talk her out of entering. "I have Transfiguration in the morning," she said finally. "And I just can't wait to find out the details of my detention."

"Detention?" Sander perked up. "Did you try to jinx Professor Potter on your way to the Goblet?"

"Goodnight Sander." She then turned on her heel and walked off to her dorm. Sander's sudden bravery to enter the tournament made her not rip up the piece of paper in her robe, however.

The Great Hall was packed as early as six o'clock. Autumn sat at her usual spot, watching students toss their names into the Goblet of Fire. She had a free period this year, however, and she planned to enter then. She had to finish Transfiguration homework while eating breakfast, since she really was having a hard time with it.

Someone nudged her left side. Sander took a seat. "I'm not interrupting anything am I? Oh no—we learned about turning animals into silverware third year."

Autumn didn't say anything as she quickly filed in the correct answer. She looked over at Sander and then looked down the table where Sander's friends were barely starting to form their usual clique at the Hufflepuff table. "Why aren't you with your friends?"

"I am with a friend," Sander answered quickly. "A friend who obviously didn't pay attention to third year Transfiguration."

She was going to jab him in the side when June walked up. "If you two sit together one more time—I'd say you were a couple."

Autumn felt her blood go cold and her cheeks burned. "I forgot a quill I need for Charms—gotta get back to the dorms—I knew if forgot something," she mumbled feverishly as she packed up her belongings into her bag. "Good day, guys," she said as her goodbye and zoomed off.

She would just have to take her homework up the the library. She passed students all dressed in powder blue on her way, they were speaking French and seemed to be having a good time. She realized that she was alone, and for once, she wished that June or Sander had pursued after her and made her stay.


	5. Fury

Autumn could hardly pay attention to anything that was coming out of Professor Raventon's mouth. The Ravenclaw boy she was forced to sit with physically took the knife out of her hand as she was chopping up the potions all wrong.

"You are doing it all wrong," he said, anxiously going back over his Potions book. "Do you want us to fail? I know this potion like the back of my hand."

"Oy!" Autumn heard June's voice from behind her. Autumn turned and gave her a quizzing expression. "Do you want to come down with us to watch the Quidditch game? There's no Quidditch this year so the boys are playing a game themselves. Daniel said to bring you along,"—she held up a note in her hand—"He said you are looking really miserable."

Autumn glanced over to Daniel who was sitting on the other side of the room with one of his friends. He smiled apprehensively at Autumn.

Autumn sighed. "At what time?"

"Six," June answered with a huge smile. She flipped one side of her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Miss McDonnell!" Professor Raventon came trudging over. "If you disrupt my class again, I will give you two weeks of detention. This potion might be on your exams!"

"Sorry," June mumbled, looking generally afraid. She sunk lower in her chair before turning to her friend sitting next to her. "I'll just get to chopping up that dragon liver."

Professor Raventon continued to go around the room, checking everyone's potions. One girl boiled her beaker and burst out into tears.

"This is the seventh one mum has sent me this year!" Autumn hears her wail miserably.

The Ravenclaw boy next to her was now giving her the cold shoulder. Autumn couldn't wait for Potions to be over.

When Professor Raventon dismissed the class, Autumn reached into the front of her robes and pulled out the small piece of parchment with her name on it. "See you at six!" she said to June then hurriedly rushed off.

She nearly knocked over some first years but she made it to the Great Hall in record time and saw that there was only a short line of students that had just gotten out of their classes. It was her free period so she didn't really have to worry about time.

One student looked at his watch, tapping his foot, waiting to put his name in the Goblet. Autumn had never realized that there were so many students her age, but she supposed that the students from the other schools had to be accounted. It seemed like everyone had been hogging the Goblet until now.

The boy finally lost his patience and left the line, probably having to get to class. She heard him cussing under his breath as he passed her.

Autumn waited impatiently but soon everyone was scurrying off to get to class. There was only one girl in front of her now. She threw her name into the Goblet and seemed to say a prayer under her breath then stepped away.

Autumn looked up at the shining Goblet and felt suddenly nervous. Was she really ready to do this? Yes, she decided quickly. She threw the parchment in and didn't even give the Goblet a second look. She wouldn't fret over this.

She quickly decided that she would go hang about the grounds while the weather was still only chilly. She booked it from the Great Hall, visions of the lake in her mind.

Autumn had only been sitting alone for five minutes when she heard someone approaching. She looked over her shoulder and saw Sander making his way down the slopped lawn of the school to her.

"Oh no," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes.

"Hey Autumn!" he called as he approached. He threw his school bag down on the grass and took a seat next to her. "Daniel told me that you are coming to the Quidditch game later. Madam Univaste is letting us play. She's as brought down about no Quidditch this year as we are."

Autumn smiled, trying to seem interested in what Sander was saying. All she could think was, why is he following me around still? "Well you are well informed," she replied.

A sudden bang from the other side of the grounds made them both jump to their feet.

"What the-" Sander already had his wand in his hand.

Autumn could see a dark haired boy across the lawn, looking very pleased with himself.

"Professor! Professor! He tried to murder me, he did! Professor!" a boy was yelling, pointing at the boy who was coming closer and closer.

Autumn recognized now how he was: James Potter. He quickly put his wand back in his robes pocket and strolled along like he had rather enjoyed whatever he just did to the other student.

"Potter," Sander growled, also putting his wand away. "Nothing but trouble, that kid."

Autumn just stared at James as he walked by. He glanced at Autumn and his expression turned foul. He just stared back darkly until Autumn was out of his sights.

Fast footsteps approached; someone was running in their direction. "James!" she heard Professor Potter yell. "Detention! Detention! Do you hear me?"

James rounded on his father, getting close to mutter something that Autumn couldn't hear. He smirked then turned away, looking at Autumn—who wished she had stop staring because the look he gave her made her shiver. Her breath caught in her throat. James then started off to the castle.

"Your mother will hear about this!" Professor Potter yelled at James' retreating figure. Professor Potter turned his sights onto Sander and Autumn. "Miss Hunter! Follow me please!"

Autumn didn't understand why Professor Potter's fury was now on her but she didn't object. She just picked up her book bag, slinging it onto her shoulder. "I'll see you later," she managed to say to Sander.

"Is there a problem, sir?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern as she reached her Dark Arts teacher.

"We shall discuss your detention now, I think," Professor Potter replied. "You should get back to class, Mr. Adamson," he called to Sander.

Sander looked rather confused as it was his free period, but he didn't dare question Professor Potter. He just nodded.

Autumn looked at Sander, exasperated, until she had to turn and follow Professor Potter back into the castle.


End file.
